Words That Need To Be Said And Words That Don't
by iceyly
Summary: One Shot - Some things just need to be said, even if the one spoken to can't be expected to answer.


Uh, so I felt like uploading some stuff here again I guess?

Anyway this is set sometimes after "Days of Waiting" and kind of refers to it, but it's not required to be read for this fic. |D

Enjoy.

**Category:** Kingdom Hearts  
><strong>Characters:<strong> Riku, Sora (sorts of), mentions of various  
><strong>Genre:<strong> Gen, Friendship  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> None, though I think this might require tissues?  
><strong>Summary:<strong> One Shot - Some things just need to be said, even if the one spoken to can't be expected to answer.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts. 

**- Words That Need To Be Said (And Words That Don't) -**

The mansion is empty when he enters; DiZ is occupied with something or other as it seems... which, as far as Riku is concerned, is just fine like that. He would only look sour anyway upon seeing him - he should be out in the field, or so the older man would say, shouldn't waste time for anything except the one thing he has been send out to do... to find and capture the Nobody named Roxas (who may or may not be _Sora's_ Nobody... Riku will make sure to confirm this himself).

And Naminé... she had probably known that he would come - she always seemed to know what was on his mind - and hidden or left so that he could have this moment for himself.

This moment to say the things that needed to be said before the inventible (and at this point, Riku knows his fate is nothing but), even if the one, whose ears it is meant for, is still fast asleep.

He takes his time as he walks up the stairs, gaze drifting to the room he has spent so many hours in as he tried to make sense of all DiZ had given him to read - 'Knowledge which would lead to Understanding' he had called it; though Riku still has no idea of what the older man has meant him to understand.

He isn't sure if it matters anymore anyways.

He doesn't make his usual stop in the White Room, does not check the pictures for familiar memories... there is no point in it anymore, only pain. Instead, he enters the study and walks down into the hidden cellar, steps trailed by the darkness he now calls his own, shadows that only he can hear whispering more fiercely than ever before (or maybe it's just he can just hear them this time around, knows their language, knows the warning signs of just how close to the edge he has gotten).

He taps against the glass capsules in the hallway - once, twice - a greeting and a goodbye to the friends of a friend and a request that they continue watch his back from the light like they had done before.

Like he won't be able to, once again.

Then he stands before the capsule that holds his best friend, has kept him asleep and safe for ten months and counting.

"It's been a while." he whispers softly as he presses his palm to the glass, as he has done it so often in the last ten months when he was alone down here.

As so often, he can't quite find the words for a moment... maybe it's silly maybe that he is down here, maybe it is silly that he is talking to someone who can't hear him, who won't be able to reply, but even so there are things that need to be said, things that Riku needs to say to Sora and if everything goes as they all predict it will, this just might be the last chance he has.

"Everything is finally on the move again... Xion just made her decision." he continues after a while, turning and settling with his back against the glass as he goes on. "It won't take long until you wake up now."

He stocks for just a moment then, because the hard part comes now; these are the things he hasn't even quite admitted to himself... never out loud anyways. He knows, it's time that he does.

"I... might not be able to keep my promise. When you wake up... I probably won't be there to greet you."

Either because Roxas would end up killing him when they finally meet or because he would stop existing as himself... at this point, either is likely.

"I've made preparations though. Mickey... the king will be there when the time comes; he'll watch out and make sure that you get out okay." Mickey has promised him this, has promised to guide Sora and to guard his secret.

"If things go well enough, I'll be there too... just maybe not where you can see me."

Because he won't ever allow Sora to find out what has happened to him in the last ten months, what will happen to him once... He shakes his head.

"It's still going to be a while until you can go home... the Organization has managed to spread the Heartless pretty far over the worlds again and one Keyblade isn't enough to keep them all in check."

Especially not when its owner is keeping low profile like Mickey does right now. Then again, if they are right, then the worst is still to come.

"It's going to take a while, but once the Organization is dealt with, it will all be over, I think."

Sora will be able to return then.

To the Islands.

To Kairi.

Riku has given up on that possibility existing for himself. That is something that Sora definitely _doesn't_ need to know about; though he probably would find out sooner or later.

"When you get back..." He trails of a little, because there is so many things to be said, so many things he wishes for Sora, for Kairi, that he won't be able to see himself, even though there is nothing in all the worlds that he longs for more than that.

But he understands necessity, has always understood it a little better than Sora, and he knows that it's his time to decide what is the best - not just for himself, but for everyone.

He knows he can't be selfish in this.

So he leaves a thousand things unsaid, because they are not the point of this, and focuses instead on the one thing, he has asked of Sora already once, hoping that maybe _this_ time, he'll actually listen (and not wander into the next best castle to get himself knocked out of the game for almost a year).

"When you get back... _take care of her._"

With that he pushes himself off the glass, turning, pressing his palm once more against it... one very last time.

Then he quietly turns away, opening the corridor and leaving the room... as if that one-sided conversation had never taken place... as if there wasn't one word still left unsaid, that one word he still can't bring himself to say.

_("Goodbye...")_

_- Fin -_


End file.
